Swimming pool heater



P 1965 H. w. ANDERSEN 3,207,133

SWIMMING POOL HEATER Filed Aug. 27, 1962. 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I

INVENTOR.

Lb ()Wbviim BY MW F l k ATTORNLYs Sept. 21, 1965 H. w. ANDERSEN3,207,133

SWIMMING POOL HEATER Filed Aug. 27, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG."3

F l 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Sept. 21, 1965 H. w. ANDERSEN 3,207,133

SWIMMING POOL HEATER Filed Aug. 2'7, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I2 [a I II I\m F G. 4 INVENTOR.

HMMA LL fi m un r Y ATTORN YS United States Patent 3,207,133 SWIMMINGPOOL HEATER Harold W. Andersen, Manhasset, N.Y., assignor to H. W.

Andersen Products, Inc., Oyster Bay, N. a corporation of New York FiledAug. 27, 1962, Ser. No. 219,406 4 Claims. (Cl. 122250) This inventionrelates to a swimming pool heater, and particularly an oil burningheater of low cost and high efficiency.

It is an object of the invention to provide such a heater which isadapted for poolside use and which can readily be moved out of the waywhen it is not needed.-

It is a further object to provide such a heater which is of simpleconstruction, using parts which require only slight modification andadaptation in a new and effective combination.

It is another object to provide such a heater which opcrates veryquietly, having only small motors with low electric current consumption,and a combustion chamber and stack arrangement designed for eflicientburning of the fuel (particularly kerosene) with a minimum of sound.

It is a further object to provide certain improvements in the form,construction and arrangement of the several parts whereby theabove-named and other objects may effectively be attained.

A practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 represents a rear elevation of the heater, showing the flue,blower, fuel tank and fuel fiow regulator;

FIG. 2 represents a front elevation, parts being broken away to show theinterior and parts being in section;

FIG. 3 represents a horizontal section takenon the line III-III of FIG.2;

FIG. 4 represents a vertical section taken .on the line IV-IV of FIG. 1,parts being shown in elevation;

FIG. 5 represents a horizontal section taken on the line VV of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 represents a detail elevation of the blower unit and deflector asviewed from the line VIVI of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 represents an end elevation of atypical float and pump assembly,and

FIG. 8 represents a side elevation of the float and pump assembly.

Referring to the drawings, the heater comprises a rectangular box-likecasing 1 of metal having a base 2 and a lid 3, hinged as indicated at 4.Within the casing is mounted a combustion chamber having a largecylindrical upper portion 5 and a smaller coaxially disposed lowerportion 6, at the bottom of which is a simple pot-type kerosene burner7. Within the upper portion 5 and slightly spaced from the wall thereofis a water coil 8 of copper tubing with its inlet connection 9 near thetop of the casing and its outlet connection 10 somewhat below the middlethereof. A cylindrical flame deflector 11 is fixed to the bottom of aninner filler member 12 (forming the top of the combustion chamber 5) andextends downwardly within at least the upper of the coil 8, thedeflector having an open bottom and a draft opening 13 near its top. Itis desirable also to provide a curved bafile 11 extending across thedeflector 11 from a point near the bottom on one side to a point justabove the draft opening 13 on the other side, the baflle 11' having acentral open 11" in the middle below the door 14.

The member 12 is in the form of a tray adapted to be removably securedacross the top of the chamber 5, provided with an upwardly opening smallhinged door 14 and with insulation 15 filling the space around the door.A pep-hole 16 is formed in the door 14, for observation of the interiorwithout opening the door.

3,207,133 Patented Sept. 21, 1965 The flue 17 connects with thecombustion chamber 5 somewhat below the top thereof and at a pointdiametrically opposite the opening 13 in the deflector, the flueextending horizontally outward through the rear wall of the casing andthen turning upward for a short distance (FIGS. 1 and 4) while stillterminating at a level no higher than the top of the casing.

The space between the upper combustion chamber 5 and the casing isfilled with insulating material 18 to prevent loss of heat. The casinglid 3 is also filled with insulation 19 and may be opened to permitremoval of the filler member 12 and flame deflector 11 in order to gainaccess to the heating coil, as for cleaning or inspection.

The lower or fire-box portion 6 of the combustion chamber is providedwith lateral perforations 20 providing a supply of air to supportcombustion of the fuel which is fed to the burner 7 at the bottom from aflow regulator 21 outside the casing at the rear. The fuel (kerosene) issupplied to the flow regulator from a tank 22 (having a capacity ofabout 5 gallons, for instance) and the rate of flow is regulated byadjustment of a handle 23, located at a convenient height but acting onthe flow regulator.

A draft-inducing blower 24 is associated with the fine 17, the bloweroutlet 25 extending vertically into the flue at the beginning of itsupward turn (FIG. 4) and being provided, preferably, with an airdeflector 26 having a Y- shaped profile (FIG. 6) which spreads the flowof air from the blower and creates a venturi effect.

When use for heating the water in a swimming pool, the heater unitdescribed above has its inlet connection 9 connected by a hose 27 to asmall submersible pump 28 arranged to be supported near the surface ofthe pool by an attached float 29. A waterproof electrical connection forthe pump motor is provided by the cable 30, having a plug 31 adapted toplug into the double socket 32 on the heater casing. The motor of theblower 24 is likewise provided with a cord and plug (33) designed to beplugged into the same double socket, to which current is suppliedthrough a cable 34, preferably of 3-wire type, from any convenientoutlet. In order to return heated water to the pool, a hose (not shown)is attached to the outlet connection 10 and the free end of the hoseplaced so that water will flow into the pool.

In operation, with the pump and float unit (FIGS. 6 and 7) in the poolWater and hoses connected to the inlet 9 and outlet 10, the pump unitplug 31 is inserted into the electric outlet 32 and the blower cord plug33 is likewise plugged in. The power supply cable 34 is connected to asource of volts A.C. electricity, making sure that the heater and pumpare grounded either by use of the 3-wire cable or otherwise.

When the water is flowing, fuel is permitted to flow at a controlledrate to the burner 7 and is ignited from the top, as by opening the trapdoor 14 and dropping a piece of lighted paper into the burner 7. Afterthe heater warms up, the rate of fuel supply can be adjusted to the mostefficient point for smoke-free operation. The blower and pump motors arevery quiet so that the heater can be left running all night, when thepool is not in use, without causing any annoyance. The heat transfer isso effective that the exhaust from the flue is merely warm; in a typicalembodiment an input of 50,000 B.t.u.s can give an output ofapproximately 37,000 B.t.u.s and twelve hours of operation will increasethe water temperature of a 20,000 gallon pool, for instance, by threedegrees when the average air temperature is about equal to watertemperature.

During certain stages of operation there may be a tendency for moistureto condense on the heating coil and drop back into the burner, causingerratic combustion or even puttting out the fire. It has been found thatthese adverse effects can be eliminated by shaping the coil in aslightly tapered form with its diameter decreasing progressively fromtop to bottom, as shown in FIG. 2. This arrangement causes moisturedropping from any given turn of the coil to fall outside the center ofthe next lower turn, this controlled cause of flow enabling the moistureto be re-evaporated without interfering with the flame.

While the heater has been described as adapted for use with its ownfloating pump to recirculate water already in a pool, it can also beconnected to a hose from any other water source and used to heat thewater, as when a pool is being filled initially or when additional,heated, water is needed or desired.

It will be understood that various changes may be made in the form,construction and arrangement of the several parts without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention, and hence I do not intend to belimited to the details shown or described herein except as the same areincluded in the claims or may be required by disclosures of the priorart.

What I claim is:

1. A portable swimming pool recirculating Water heater designed andadapted for raising the temperature of the water in the pool comprising,a casing provided with a burner in its lower portion and a combustionchamber thereabove, a water circulating coil within said casingpositioned above the burner and having an inlet for receiving water fromthe pool and an outlet for returning heated water to the pool, a fluefor the combustion chamber fitted in the side of the casing andextending horizontally outward and vertically upward, a motor drivendraftinducing blower positioned exterioraly of the casing with itsoutlet projecting into the horizontal portion of the flue below thevertical portion thereof and directed upwardly toward said latterport-ion, and deflector means at the outlet of said blower fordeflecting the discharge of the latter to create a venturi effect andthereby aid in inducing the flow of combustion products through saidflue.

2. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said deflector meanscomprises a deflector plate having a generally Y-shaped profile forspreading the flow of air from the blower.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said deflector meansis mounted in said blower outlet.

4. A portable swimming pool recirculating water heater designed andadapted for raising the temperature of the water in the pool comprising,a casing provided with a burner in its lower portion and a combustionchamber thereabove, a water circulating coil within said casingpositioned above the burner and having an inlet for receiving water fromthe pool and an outlet for returning heated water to the pool, agenerally cylindrical flame deflector positioned within said coil andhaving a bottom opening and a lateral opening near the top thereof, saidflame deflector being spaced from said casing to form an annular spacetherebetween, a sloping baflie extending across the inside of said flamedeflector from a point near the bottom of the latter on one side thereofto a point on the opposite side thereof above said lateral opening tothereby deflect combustion gases to the lateral opening and thence intosaid annular space, a flue for the combustion chamber communicating withsaid annular space and extending horizontally outward and verticallyupward, a motor driven draft-inducing blower positioned exteriorly ofthe casing with its outlet projecting into the horizontal portion of theflue below the vertical protion thereof and directed upwardly towardssaid latter portion, and means at the outlet of said blower creating aventuri effect to aid in inducing the flow of combustion productsthrough said flue.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,236,416 8/17Fink 122-250 1,298,254 3/19 Phillips et al 122-250 1,318,355 10/19Chadwick 122-250 1,770,588 7/30 Cook 110-1 X 1,869,939 8/32 Latimer -160X 2,186,802 1/40 Georg 122-250 2,453,985 11/48 Goreau 122-250 2,584,3262/52 Campbell 110-160 2,634,712 4/53 Kallam 122-356 2,827,268 3/58 Staaf210-169 2,841,124 7/58 Ackerman 122-214 2,884,197 4/59 Whittell 236-122,905,258 9/59 Parker 122-250 2,987,259 6/61 Lindquist 122-250 2,989,1856/ 61 Lombardi 210-169 3,118,430 1/64 Russell et al. 122-250 FOREIGNPATENTS 379,244 8/ 32 Great Britain.

FREDERICK L. MATTESON, JR., Primary Examiner.

PERCY L. PATRICK, KENNETH W. SPRAGUE,

Examiners.

1. A PORTABLE SWIMMING POOL RECIRCULATING WATER HEATER DESIGNED ANDADAPTED FOR RAISING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE WATER IN THE POOL COMPRISING,A CASING PROVIDED WITH A BURNER IN ITS LOWER PORTION AND A COMBUSTIONCHAMBER THEREABOVE, A WATER CIRCULATING COIL WITHIN SAID CASINGPOSITIONED ABOVE THE BURNER AND HAVING AN INLET FOR RECEIVING WATER FROMTHE POOL AND AN OUTLET FOR RETURNING HEATED WATER TO THE POOL, A FLUEFOR THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER FITTED IN THE SIDE OF THE CASING ANDEXTENDING HORIZONTALLY OUTWARD AND VERTICALLY UPWARD, A MOTOR DRIVENDRAFT-